Knot retainer



E. TORELL] KNOT RETAINER Sept. 1, 1953 Filed Aug. 5 1951 INVENTOR. f/A'E/V 729162244 BY Patented Sept. 1, 1953 KNOT- RETAINER E'ileen Torelli,'Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Armand Hugo Torelli, Los Angeles,

' Calif.

.ApplicationAugust 3, 195 1,1Serial No. 240,201

1 Claim. 1

This invention'relates to improvements in .knot retainers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and durable device which will enable bow knots to be tied in lace or tie ends in such a manner that they cannot be easily loosened and unfastened. While the invention has been primarily designedfor application to the shoe laces of childrens shoes, it is equally applicable to any other article having laces or ties the ends of which are adapted to be tied in a bow knot.

Explanatory of the present invention, it is customary to tie the ends of a shoe lace in a bow knot to facilitate subsequent untying. In the case of many children, however, the knot that is tied is in the nature of a granny knot as distinguished from a reef or square knot. Children frequently, in tying the knot at the lace ends, first wrap one lace end around the other in onedirection and then, after forming the bows in the lace ends, proceed to wrap the bows one around the other in the same direction. ,The result isa type of granny knot which is relatively insecure :as compared and contrasted with a reefor square knot. The insecurity of the granny knot .is to some extent developed by the development of pressure and the alternate release of pressure occasioned by walking or running. The applications and reliefs of pressure tend to cause the knot to work loose with the result that many children are severely inconvenienced by their shoe laces becoming untied. By means of the present invention the lace ends can be drawn through a relatively small disc-like object which may be of an ornamental character and the lace ends can then be drawn through spaced recesses extending transversely across the edge of the object and tied into a bow knot on the reverse side of the object. Such a bow knot may be either of the granny type knot or a square knot. In either event, however, the disc-like object prevents pressures and reliefs of pressure from being transmitted to the knot with the result that the knot will ordinarily remain tied until deliberately untied.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative em"- bodiment of the invention, wherein.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laced shoe illustrating one form of knot retainer embodying the present invention as having been applied thereto;

Fig; 2 is a perspective viewof a laced shoe illustrating an alternative form -of-knot retainer as applied thereto;

.Fig. 3 may be regarded as a partial sectional view :taken substantially upon the line 3-'-3 upon Fig. 1 in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, taken substantially'upon the line 44 upon Fig. 2 in the direction indicated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, inFig. 1 there is illustrated a laced shoe I0 having a conventional lace H that is passed through eyelets 12 -on' the shoe. In the ordinary shoe the lace l I after having been passed through all of the eyelets 12 has the lace ends 13 and [4 brought together and tied into a bow knot. As above explained, however, children freequently, in tying the bowkno't, tie a granny knot as contrastedwith a square orreef' knot with the result that alternate applications of pressure and reliefs of pressure occasioned by walking cause the knot to work loose.

"The knot retainer embodying theypresent invention as depicted in Figs. 1 311M113 consistsof a disc-like object I5 which maybe formedof a disc-like object I 5 which'maybe'formed ofa synthetic resin plastic or any other suitable material that is relatively stiff. This disc-like object has a thickness that is materially smaller than the height or breadth of the disc. It may be given any ornamental shape and the obverse side thereof may be given an ornamental configuration in bas relief if desired. As illustrated the disc is shown as being formed to represent the head of a kitten although other shapes may be adopted if desired. Near the center of the disc I 5 in that form illustrated in Fig. 1 there are two spaced apertures l6 and I! which in this form are located approximately at the locations of the eyes of the kittens head. The ears are shown as being somewhat extended to cooperate with the top edge of the disc to form two spaced recesses l8 and I9 which extend transversely across the edge of the disc. These recesses may be regarded as being on the same side of a diameter across the disc or on the same side of an imaginary line extending across both apertures 16 and I1. They are disposed in more or less straddling relationship to the two apertures I 6 and I 1.

In the use of this form of construction, after the shoe lace II has been passed through all of the eyelets l2 and the lace tightened, the lace ends I3 and 14 are extended or passed through the apertures l6 and H. The ends are then drawn upwardly over the forward face of the disc 3 and are passed through the recesses l8 and I9, respectively, as indicated at 20 and 2!. The ends are then drawn over the reverse side of the disc and about the entering portions 22 and 23 of the laces or those portions of the laces which are between the uppermost eyelets l2 and. the apertures l6 and H. The bow knot 24 is then tied against the reverse side of the disc. This bow knot may be either a granny knot or a square knot. In either event, however, pressure or tension developed on the lace II in the course of walking or running and alternately relieved is not may be extended and in both forms of constructransmitted along the length of the lace and I through the disc-like object to the knot 24. Consequently, even though the knot 24 may be a granny knot it will ordinarily remain intact and will not loosen until deliberately untied by pulling on the lace ends [3 and M.

In the alternative form of construction shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the disc-like object 25 may be similarly constructed but instead of having two spaced apertures 16 and I! there may be a single aperture 26 near the center of the disc. In this form of construction there may be recesses at the top of the disc such as those indicated at 21 and 28 through which the lace ends may be drawn or, as shown, there may be recesses 29 and 30 extending across the edges of the disc near the bottom thereof. These recesses 29 and 30 may likewise be regarded as being located on the same side of a diameter across the disc and in straddling relation to the aperture 26.

In this form of construction, when the shoe has been laced the lace ends are brought together and together passed through the single central aperture 26. They are then drawn downwardly through the recesses 29 and 30 onto the reverse side of the disc and are brought together about the entering portions 3| and 32 and the bow knot 33 is tied against the back of the disc. In this form of construction likewise, even though the bow knot 33 is in the form of a granny knot, it will not loosen and become untied until deliberately untied by pulling on the lace ends.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved knot retainer tion there are recesses extending transversely across the edge of the disc for the reception of the lace ends. These recesses being in straddling relationship to the passage through the disc tend to retain the disc against turning in the course of drawing the lace taut and tying the bow knot.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A tied article having two flexible lace ends, a disc having two spaced apertures therethrough arranged adjacent the center thereof through which the ends are passed, said disc having two spaced recesses on its marginal edge extending transversely across the edge of the disc in straddling relation to the apertures through which the ends are respectively drawn onto the reverse side of the disc and brought together and tied over the entering portions of the lace ends.

EILEEN TORELLI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 262,653 Ducker Aug. 15, 1882 1,246,703 Blakeney Nov. 13, 1917 1,350,860 Ersted Aug. 24, 1920 1,446,525 Tischhauser Feb. 2'7, 1923 1,806,162 Hahn May 19, 1931 1,822,284 Grundmann Sept. 8, 1931 1,915,665 Gromoll June 2'7, 1933 

